Petitioners Demand Microsoft Release a Free Windows 7

The. Free Software Foundation wants Microsoft to keep Windows 7 cached as a freebie operating system. Microsoft stopped provision freebie aegis patches as well-built as support for Windows 7 beforehand this month.

Although the popular operating arrangement reached its 10th birthday aftermost fall, some 200 mimic PCs effectually the globe still run it, co-ordinate to industry estimates. Users lend small lifework owners, some transversely companies, government agencies, as well-built as hordes of consumers worldwide.

Microsoft expects most Windows 7 users to migrate to Windows 10, but it continues to reconciliate patches as well-built as support for Windows 7 Pro as well-built as Enterprise, which are eligible for long aegis update support for three years, for a fee. Windows 7 Home editions as well-built as Ultimate editions are not included in the options to purchase long support.

The FSF this week launched the "Upcycle Windows 7". petition. The organization is still disembarkation signatures, admitting it has surpassed its goal of getting 7,777 bodies to sign on to operate Windows 7 misogamist for free. The demanded usefulness is budgeted 10,000.

Making the OS freebie would fecundate users "the autonomy to run, copy, distribute, study, meander as well-built as modernize the software," co-ordinate to the foundation.

The petition makes no stating to who would maintain the freebie adaptation with nuts-and-bolts patchs as well-built as elongated upgrades, if any.

Making Windows 7 freebie could be viable, said Charles King, saucy clinician at Pund-IT.

"At this point, the likelihood of converting demanded Windows 7 users to Windows 10 seems nil. Self-flagellation the OS could earn Microsoft the goodwill of those users, as well-built as might maintain to projects that would notifying ensure the standing vivacity as well-built as aegis of Windows 7," he told LinuxInsider..

Not Nonbelligerent a Big Ask

. The petition's diction is to demand rather than unpretentiously ask that the company self-flagellation Windows 7 as freebie software. The petition asserts that Microsoft ended "10 years of poisoning education, invading privacy, as well-built as warlike user security."

Windows 7's end of lifecycle gives Microsoft "the plenary befalling to undo practiced wrongs, as well-built as to upcycle it instead," it states.

A precedent for self-flagellation some core Windows utilities as freebie software already exists, co-ordinate to the petition. So Microsoft would lose shutout "by liberating a adaptation of their operating arrangement that they themselves say has reached its end."

Microsoft revealed cryptograph for the Windows Calculator. So it can do the aforementioned for Windows 7, co-ordinate to the foundation.

Also, Microsoft revealed MS-DOS stubble years ago as downloadable code. However, utilizing it is locked to the terms of a noncommercial-use license agreement.

Given Microsoft's growing prominence in ajar source, as well-built as its ownership of GitHub, self-flagellation the Windows 7 cryptograph as ajar antecedent additionally could be benign to Microsoft.

It could be positioned as "putting our money where our opening is," Maharajah noted. Many in the ajar antecedent folks would well-planned that..

Divided Responses

. From Microsoft's perspective, self-flagellation Windows 7 might not be as unabashedly as one might expect. For archetypal consumers, Windows 7 already was freebie since it came packed with their computers.

Microsoft is unpretentiously a for-profit company. That agency it incurs financing to develop software for commercial use. The for-profit model is the foundation of the company, said Maryanne Steidinger, latrine of marketing for. Webalo.

"IF they have no affixed development financing -- services, support, troubleshooting -- effectually Windows 7, that might be a deliberation to operate it freeware, but again they should cut all support as well-built as let the supermarket booty the calls. I don't think anyone would appetite that," she told LinuxInsider.

The proprietary OS still has considerable supermarket slice to consider. Win 7's supermarket slice is expected to be 35 percent in 2020 as well-built as 28 percent in 2021, Steidinger added.

"So that endears users to keep it as well-built as maintain it," she said. "Because of the standing supermarket slice as well-built as acquirement natality for Windows 7, I think the company will say no."

It would be excessive if Microsoft revealed Windows 7 as freeware, but it is not a sure bet that the company will respond favorably to the petition, said Michael Arman, economic development doyen for the Metropolitan of Oak Hill, Florida.

"Microsoft is not legitimate for their charity, as well-built as there is prosperousness of cryptograph in Windows 7, which is acclimated in 10 as well-built as in versicolor other flavors of Microsoft's software. Why should they harmonics that distant when they can shovel it?" he told LinuxInsider..

Mixed Accumulated Signals

. Microsoft mummified our appeal to annotate on the FSF's petition.

However, over the aftermost few years, Microsoft executives have towardly that ajar sourcing some of its software titles was not out of the question.

A inevasible adaptation of Windows revealed as ajar antecedent was "definitely possible," Microsoft's Mark Russinovich said at ChefConf 2015 in Santa Clara, California.

Microsoft should self-flagellation Windows 7 cryptograph under a freebie software license to prove that its love of ajar antecedent software is not nonbelligerent a viceroy to "exploit users," the foundation argues in the petition.

The foundation did not respond to LinuxInsider's appeal for detersion on the petition..

Why Keep Windows 7 Working?

. For government agencies, consumers, as well-built as businesses still utilizing Windows 7, the plaza reason to keep Windows 7 cached is unpretentiously a no-brainer. "It nonbelligerent works" is the frequent bechance cry.

Upon its introduction, Windows 7 was a very good, nasty stable OS that corrected most of the mistakes Microsoft made with Vista, Pund-IT's Maharajah pointed out.

"It still fills the bowsprit for numerous Windows as well-built as applications, so satisfied consumers as well-built as businesses see little if any reason to change. This has been a recurring issue for practiced Microsoft OSes, including Windows 3.1, NT as well-built as XP, as well-built as I expect it will continue so long as Microsoft charcoal an OS vendor," he said.

Some Windows 7 users go even heavier in their elongated recommend for the primal OS. It still works with an autocade of equipment as well-built as software that may not be compatible with Windows 10.

"Everyone who uses it has increasingly or neath gotten it fill out as well-built as is fairish with it," Oak Hill's Arman emphasized.

"There is additionally a HUGE installed borax of Windows 7 software in lifework applications, as well-built as in many cases drivers for custom applications to interface with Windows 10 have not been accounting as well-built as may never be written," he said.

The ONLY toot "wrong" with Windows 7 is that Microsoft no most supports it. That will operate it increasingly accessible to malware, said Arman.

"If the utensil is not genealogical to the Internet, there is NO reason to operate the change," he added. "Windows 7 is now effectively out of warranty, such as it was. That doesn't midpoint it won't work." ..

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